Round 1 of GT Academy is now open, and will run through January 23, 2011. Once you are registered for the competition, boot up your copy of Gran Turismo 5, log in to PSN with the same PSN ID you registered for GT Academy with, and enter the online events area to compete in Round 1. Round 1 consists of three time trial events designed to test your driving skills and mastery of the tracks, using Nissan vehicles.

Learn the tracks and run laps to improve your time. Your best lap time for each track is posted to the rankings. If you beat your previous best lap time, your new best lap time will be posted and possibly move you up in the rankings. Round 1 ends January 23, 2011.

All players who enter and race will earn rewards just for trying their best. A piece of free exclusive digital content will be awarded each week for the five weeks of Round 1 to everyone who logs in and races GT Academy events. Content includes exclusive PS3 themes and an exclusive GT Academy racing suit for PlayStation HOME. Prizes to be awarded after the close of Round 1.

Prizes will also be awarded for the top 20 national leaders (combined lap time) as of the end of each of the five weeks during Round 1, ending on January 23, 2011. The top 20 will each receive a Gran Turismo poster. The top five will each receive a Logitech Driving Force GT steering controller, plus a poster for being in the top 20. And the number one player will receive a Playseat Revolution (Gran Turismo 5 Edition) racing seat, plus a Logitech Driving Force GT steering controller for being in the top 5, and a GT5 poster for being in the top 20. However, once you win one of the prizes, you become ineligible to receive the same thing in later weeks. For example, if the top 20 at the end of week 2 is the same at as week 1, the next 20 people in the rankings will receive posters, number 6 through 10 will receive Logitech Driving Force GT steering controllers, and number 2 will receive the Playseat Revolution racing seat. Prizes to be awarded after the close of Round 1.

At the end of Round 1, the top 128 players per region will each get a voucher for Gran Turismo (PSP) and move on to round 2, and so on until the GT Academy winner is found.

About GT Academy:
GT Academy will challenge gamers and racing fans alike across the U.S. to compete in a series of online time trials in Gran Turismo 5 using pre-selected Nissan vehicles. As the competition progresses, thousands of hopefuls will be narrowed down to the top 32 finalists, who will compete in the live national finals for a coveted spot in the top 16. The top 16 will compete in a grueling boot camp, where their strength, stamina, mental agility, and driving skills will be pushed to the limits and beyond. On top of pure talent, it will take a lot of drive, passion and dedication to prove to the judges who really has what it takes to become a professional race car driver. One winner will start down the path of intense training to become a pro, and ultimately, compete in a real race as part of a professional racing team, which will also be documented in a reality show on SPEED channel.